PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte announced Thursday night that he plans to fire more government officials accused of corruption—including 49 policemen and three generals.
“I am in the thick of firing people. I intend to fire another maybe 70 or 49 policemen and three generals for corruption. This is really a purging regime. I think that I’ll be spending a lot of time just to clean up government,” the President said in his speech during an event for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. at the Manila Hotel.
“I am firing another chairman of an entity in government maybe this week and another set of policemen. That’s why I said I’ll start with them.” he said, adding that he spend his remaining four years cleaning up corruption in government.
Present during the event were Pagcor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrea Domingo, Alfredo C. Lim, president and other officials as well as casino magnates such as Enrique Razon and Dennis Uy.
Earlier, the President vowed to fire government officials who traveled abroad excessively, using public funds.
“He hates the corrupt, those who frequently go on junkets. He already said that before that he closely watches government officials who are fond of joining trips abroad,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said.
“Because when you attend junkets, you spend the people’s money that should have been used to address their needs. And aside from that, you lose time for your responsibilities in the government.”
Among prominent officials who were axed were Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno, Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago, and Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor Terry Ridon.
In his speech Thursday, Duterte called on Pagcor officials and employees as well as gambling licensees not to engage in graft and corruption.
He commended the gambling industry for boosting the country’s economy but reminded them to stay away from corruption.
“I can give you the assurance, we welcome you. I thank you for the income that we are earning from the gambling community,” Duterte said.
“I want to stress again the point that you can come in, expand, do business peacefully but please avoid graft and corruption whether you are the giver or the receiver,” he added.
He reiterated that he would not show mercy to corrupt government officials and encouraged businessmen to report them either directly to him or to his officials or through the Citizens’ Complaint Hotline 8888.
“Please do not give them the luxury of extortion. All you have to do is just call anybody in government… And I will take care of it,” he said.
“All I have to do is for you to cooperate and I said do not give in to extortionists. Be it the police, the BIR, Customs, because if I find out, I’ll make it hard for you,” he added.
He said corruption in government must be stopped because it was pulling the country down.
He also addressed gaming companies applying for permits.
“If your permit goes beyond three days on any table there, just call me and I will get it to you for free. If there are problems in this department, just call me, and I will go to the department concerned, together with you, and I will get the papers for you,” he said.
In 2017, the National Capital Region Police Office dismissed from service 158 policemen, suspended 625 others, demoted 38 and reprimanded nine others for their involvement in various illegal activities, Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said in a speech Thursday.
Albayalde said 724 administrative cases were also filed against 1,198 erring personnel. “Cases were classified according to the offense committed. For grave offenses we have a total of 653; for less grave offenses 495 and 50 simple offenses.”
Albayalde said the five district commanders in Metro Manila also enforced disciplinary sanctions on 1,302 policemen who were put on floating status at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
He added 334 personnel were reassigned outside the NCRPO; 147 were subjected to a reorientation program; and 1,094 Police Officers 1 were subjected to orientation programs.